Peaches and Cream
by Xanthera
Summary: Momo Satiro is under more pressure than you could imagine. Her friends are fighting, and on top of that, now she has to deal with being a Mew Mew! Can things get any worse? Of course they can!
1. Cheesecake Clears the Mind

**Don't ask about the title, I just thought it sounded cute considering Momo means peach.**

**Alright, you may hate me for this, but Momo/Mew Peach is based off me. Also, her friends are clones of my friends. Yeah, Momo is me if I were a Mew Mew. And lived in Japan. (hides from angry mobs) Don't kill me!**

**WARNING: If you don't like same-sex pairing, don't read this. Not only does it involve Minto x Zakuro, I also made my own pairing that, to my knowledge, didn't exist until now. If it does, I'm sorry. I give you: (drum roll) Kisshu x Pai! No, it's not a typo folks; I have paired Kisshu and Pai! Not all out mushy love, just some cute fluff. Once again, DON'T KILL ME! (hides behind Zakuro, who brandishes her crosswhip) And as for you Masaya bashers, don't bother reading this. I like Masaya, and ruthless bashers of any kind tick me off a bit. So, yeah.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my own original characters, you know the drill by now. Seriously, if I owned TMM, I would never have let 4kids dub it. It would have been ADV films. And I would speak Japanese. Which I only know a few words of, and which will be used in this fic.**

**Translations.**

**Onee-(chan) (sama): This is a polite term the girls use for the girls in the group that are older than them. Literally translated, it means "Elder Sister", even though they're not sisters. It's just a more polite way to address friends who are older than you.**

**Onii-(chan) (sama): Same as the first one, but for boys. Means "Elder Brother."**

**Gomen/Gomen nasai: I'm sorry.**

**Arigato/Domo: Thank you.**

**Onigai: Please.**

**And now, onto the fanfic!**

* * *

I sighed as I walked down the sidewalk towards home. I couldn't believe what was happening. Damn it. And I was sick the day that happened, too! I wasn't even there! Why did they have to get me involved?! Stupid Ayame had to go and say something insulting to stupid Kaida, who took it the wrong way, while stupid Emiko took Ayame's side, and stupid Haruko was just shutting herself away. I didn't know whom to side with, they were all acting stupid, and their stupidity was becoming contagious. 

I sighed again and crossed the street. And then a saw it. That cute little café in the park that had caught my eye so many times. What was it called again? Café Mew Mew? Normally, I don't like pink and frilly things, but I figured a little sugar and a cheerful atmosphere would do me some good. And besides, I didn't have karate that afternoon, thank god. I took the path through the park and made my way towards the girly building.

As I walked through the open double doors, I was overcome by how… cutesy it was. Hearts, ribbons, frills, and an aura of unwavering happiness. I knew this little outing would help, though the pink made me kind of dizzy.

As I looked around I was startled as a cheery voice said, "Welcome to Café Mew Mew, table for how many?"

I shook myself out of my spaced out state and looked toward the owner of the voice. A girl about my age with short red hair and wearing what looked like an extra frilly red and pink maid's dress was standing in front of me with a tray.

"One please," I said, trying to act happy. The girl led me to a table in the corner and pulled out a notebook.

"What can I get you today?" she asked with a smile. I immediately took a liking to her. I was pretty sure I'd seen her before. 'I think she's in my class,' I thought.

I picked up the menu on the table and skimmed down it. "Chocolate cheesecake, please," I said.

"Coming right up!" she said with a smile. She walked through the double doors to where the kitchen obviously was. I set my elbows on the table and rested my chin on my hands. I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of the café. The soft music, the people talking, silverware clanking against plates. All of my problems were gone for a moment, but as soon as I spaced out, they seemed to come flooding back. I had no idea what to do. On one hand, Kaida had had her feelings hurt badly, but it wasn't entirely Ayame's fault. Then Emiko was flipping out over Kaida, and "punishing" Ayame mercilessly, while Haruko was hiding and not helping at all.

The clank of a plate woke me up, and I looked up to see a very appetizing looking slice of cake in front of me. Another girl, also wearing a maids dress, but green was standing next to the table with the bill. She had soft blue eyes framed by round glasses, and her hair was green and put into two thin braids. "Enjoy," she said, putting the bill on the table.

I picked up the fork that was on the plate and took a bite of the cheesecake. It was the best I had ever tasted in my life. As it melted in my mouth, everything floated away as I entered a dream-like state that was only caused when I ate really good desert. It was like I was floating on a cloud, a cloud made of chocolate. I was so absorbed in my mini heaven, the words that floated into my ears failed to register, even though I heard them.

"You're positive, Shirogane?"

"YES, I said!"

"We'll have another friend, na no da!"

"Well, we should tell her, right?"

"Not outright. At least one of us should get to know her, first."

"She's in my class, I'll do it."

"Okay, Ichigo. We'll leave it up to you."

I shrugged off the weird conversation as I finished my cheesecake. After all, what business was it of mine? I fished the money I owed out of my pocket and put it on the table. I left a pretty large tip considering the waitresses were so pleasant.

As I walked along the path away from the café, I noticed a small statue sitting on the ground next to the topiary archway of the cafe. I bent down next to it and examined it further. Carved on spots covered it, and I specualted that it was a leopard. It seemed a little out of place, though. I disregarded it and walked back into the park.

Without wanring, the ground shook beneath my feet. At first, I thought nothing of it, as I was still under the influence of the cheesecake. But another tremor came, this time feeling more like a fully blown earthquake. Seeing a lamppost, I ran to it as fast as I could without falling down and clung to it. Suddenly, a flash of bright red light engulfed me, and I felt myself falling...

* * *

I was floating in a green abyss, and for some reason, I was naked, but I wasn't cold. Bubbles floated around me, sparling and giving off an orange glow. And somewhere in front of me, there was a bouncing light. It started moving closer, and I squinted to get a better look at it. It looked like the statuette I had seen earlier. Only a bit too fluffy to be a normal leopard… a snow leopard, maybe? I stared as it bounded towards me. _'Oh, crap,_' I thought. '_It's going to freaking eat me!_' Damn, why did I have to die? Oh, well. Then maybe my friends would forget the stupid fight. But then, what good would that be if I wasn't there to enjoy it? 

But as the leopard drew nearer, it slowed down and walked up to me. It rubbed against my leg and made what I guess could be considered a purr. I felt safer now, so I lowered my hand and tentatively pet it on the head. All at once, it reared on it's hind legs and jumped. Before I could even scream, it hit my chest. Or at least, it made contact with my chest. I looked down and saw it's tail disappearing into my chest.

'It went inside me?' I thought. A soothing warmth engulfed my body, a tingling sensation flowing through it. I felt myself falling again...

Yes! Cliffhanger! I hope you like it so far.


	2. The Body Changes After Naps in the Park

**Peaches and Cream **

**Okay, after reading over the first chapter again, I realize that my writing was pretty bad, so I have vowed to do better from now on. I'll triple check. **

** Disclaimer: Yeah, I still don't own TMM. Momo, Kaida, Emiko, Ayame, Haruko and Momo's parents all belong to me. **

**Translations: **

**Onee-(chan) (Sama): This is a polite term the girls use for the girls in the group that are older than them. Literally translated, it means "Elder Sister", even though they're not sisters. It's just a more polite way to address friends who are older than you. **

**Onii-(chan) (Sama): Same as the first one, but for boys. Means "Elder Brother." **

**Gomen/Gomen nasai: I'm sorry. **

**Arigato/Domo: Thank you. **

**Onigai: Please.**

**And time to start!**

* * *

My eyelids fluttered open and I looked around. I was in the park next to a pink building. Something felt different about me, but then again, I _had_ just woken up from… hmm, why had I fallen asleep again?

Then it all came rushing back to me so fast it made my head spin. The café, the strange conversation I'd overheard, the snow leopard statue, the earthquake. And that weird dream. What did it mean? I looked at my watch and practically screamed. It was 4:20. If I didn't get home by 4:30, my parents would kill me. I quickly stood up and ran. I ran so fast it seemed unreal. This was quite strange, because I'm normally a really slow runner. But right now, I really didn't want to jinx myself by mentioning it, so I pushed it from my mind.

* * *

"I'm home," I said as I walked in the door.

"Hey, Momo," I heard my mom call from the kitchen. "How was school?"

I sighed and walked to the fridge. "Do I have to answer?" I said, grabbing an apple.

"That bad, huh?" mom said, cutting some chicken for dinner.

"They're still at it," I said, biting into my snack.

"Things will work themselves out sooner or later."

"I just hope it's sooner rather than later." I walked to my room and shut the door. My cats, Tora and Seito, were lying on my still unmade bed, further discouraging me from making my room look less messy. I changed out of my school uniform and slipped into a green short-sleeved top and a pair of faded jeans.

And then I saw it. A weird mark on my left elbow. '_When the hell did that get there?!' _I thought. It was light orange and looked like… well, there was no other way to describe it; it looked like a space ship with four dots around it and an arch above it. I put my finger on it and rubbed. It wouldn't come off. What the hell?!

I would worry about it later. But I couldn't let my parents see it. They would think I'd gotten a tattoo! I quickly changed out of the tee-shirt and put on a black long-sleeved shirt to hide the mark. Flopping down on my bed, I stared up at the ceiling. Or rather, I stared at the bottom of the mattress on the top bunk. I reached over and scratched Tora under her chin. She started to purr, and I took solace in it.

I closed my eyes and thought. Why was all of this happening? Did I curse myself by breaking my rule of thumb about not going near anything girly? Did I imagine all of it because of the pressure I was under? Or was all of this just a dream? Whatever the reason, I needed to unwind. I sat up and walked over to my desk. I opened up my laptop and opened my internet browser. The news on my homepage, Yahoo, caught my attention.

Tokyo Mew Mew had rescued several kids. I've always admired the Mew Mews and followed their exploits with perfect vigilance, so I clicked the link to the full story and read it. Apparently there was a hostage situation. Someone with a handbag full of money and a gun broke into a classroom, and although the teacher and most of the class was able to escape, the man caught and tied up four of the students. The police weren't able to get him out, but the Mew Mews broke down the door and knocked out the robber. There was a photo of the smallest Mew Mew, a yellow one with the ears and tail of a monkey, being hugged by the kids who were held hostage. One of Mew Mews, the pink one, was quoted as saying, "It's our duty to protect anyone in need."

I smiled lightly as I finished reading the article. The Mew Mews were so freaking cool.

"Momo, dinner's ready!"

I closed my laptop and walked downstairs.

* * *

I got into bed and turned out the bedside lamp. I definitely felt better after eating my favorite dish made by my favorite cook. Gyoza made by my mom always cheers me up. And a before bed snack of sushi to top it off. I closed my eyes and performed my nightly ritual of counting backwards from one thousand to fall asleep. I only managed to get to nine hundred and thirty.

* * *

_ I walked through the inky blackness, searching for something. Something, but I didn't know what. All I knew was that I had to find it. I had to find it no matter what. Everything would end if I didn't find it. _

_ I saw a light in the distance, and instinctively moved towards it. Maybe this was it? I walked up to it and picked it up. It was a glowing orb of pure energy. Yes, this is what I needed. _

_ All at once, the orb changed into a snarling creature. A creature I couldn't identify as any kind of animal I'd ever seen. It had scaly green skin and a black mane around its cat-like head. Its tail had a stinger at the end, and sharp spines ran all along its back. _

_I quickly dropped the strange beast and ran. But I wasn't moving. I ran faster. I needed to get away. But nothing helped. It jumped onto my back and I felt its claws dig into my skin. This was it. This was really the end. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. _

* * *

My eyes flew open and I sat bolt upright in bed, breathing heavily. I clutched my stuffed animal tightly, pressing my face into its soft fur. But… I didn't go to sleep with a stuffed animal. I looked at the fluffy thing in my hands and fought the urge to scream. It was a tail, a snow leopard tail by the looks of it, and it was protruding out of _my_ backside. And my head felt weird, my ears in particular. I reached up to scratch them, and found a pair of what felt like cat ears. What the hell was going on?!

'_I must still be dreaming,_' I thought. I shut my eyes tightly and concentrated on making the ears and tail disappear. I opened my eyes and, to my relief, found the strange features gone gone. '_Man_,' I thought. '_No more sushi before bed for me._'

* * *

I'm having so much fun writing this. Dream sequences are fun to write. As always, review. I want to know what you guys think! Flame me and I'll send my evil cat after you to rip your hands apart. Anyway, I need more reviews. How about… anyone who reviews gets a cookie. Okay? And yes, my favorite Japanese dish is Gyoza. 


	3. New Friends Ease the Pain

**Peaches and Cream**

**EDIT Re-uploading this chapter because my friend who I based Emiko off of made me.**

**We finally get to see some stereotypical anime action in this chapter! Yay! Also, why aren't you reviewing?! Please? I really need more reviews so I know what people think, so unless I get at least four reviews on this chapter, I won't update until December 5th. Muahaha! I'm evil! XD**

**Disclaimer: I'm a fifteen-year-old internet addict sitting in front of her dad's computer in Colorado. Do you think I own TMM? Momo, Momo's parents, Kaida, Emiko, Ayame and Haruko all belong to me, though. **

**Translations: **

**Onee-(chan) (Sama): This is a polite term the girls use for the girls in the group that are older than them. Literally translated, it means "Elder Sister", even though they're not sisters. It's just a more polite way to address friends who are older than you. **

**Onii-(chan) (Sama): Same as the first one, but for boys. Means "Elder Brother." **

**Gomen/Gomen nasai: I'm sorry. **

**Arigato/Domo: Thank you. **

**Onigai: Please.**

**And I've been forgetting one.**

**Baka: Stupid, or idiot, depending on how it's used.**

**Yeah, can't believe I forgot to put that one up earlier. .;**

**And now, on with the show!**

* * *

beep

beep

beep

beep

beep

I reached over to my nightstand and groped around until I found the off button on my alarm clock. I slowly sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, thanks to a certain very realistic dream. Why had I dreamt that I grew those weird animal features? I walked out to the dining room and sat down to breakfast, doing my best to push the strange events of last night from my head.

* * *

The light morning breeze ruffled my hair in its usual ponytail as I walked to school. I prayed that my friends had maybe settled down a little, as the fight was becoming more and more physical. I really didn't want to have to use my martial arts to break up a scuffle. I didn't get my hopes _too _high that they'd resolved it, though.

That was probably a good thing, taking into account the first thing I heard when I walked into the classroom.

"I already said I was sorry, what more do you want from me, a legal document to prove it?!"

"I won't forgive you for saying those things!"

"**Divine punishment!**"

"Find a happy place, find a happy place, find a happy place…"

"Aw, crap," I muttered quietly as I watched my friends. "They're at it again." I walked over to Haruko and said hi. She didn't answer. I sweatdropped. Her eyes were closed, her fingers were in her ears and she was chibi, as she was still trying to block out the sounds of everyone else being… more insane then usual. I tapped her on the shoulder.

"Haruko-Chan," I said. "You were there when it happened; I was sick, so I don't even know all the details. Can't you do something?"

"I don't want them to get mad at me, too," she said, walking to her desk. I didn't blame her. Who in their right mind would want to endure Emiko's "divine punishment?" Said punishment was her going chibi and karate chopping whoever was being punished on the head. Which is what she was currently doing to Ayame.

"Ow! Quit it!" Ayame whined as Emiko chopped her on the head again.

"Fangy," I said, calling Emiko by her vampire nickname, "just drop it. This is—"

I stopped short as our sensei walked into the room. We quickly got into our seats and prepared for another boring homeroom session.

* * *

A huge popped vein appeared on my forehead as I watched my friends duke it out at lunch.

"I don't even know why I should listen to you anyway!" Kaida said, turning away from Ayame.

"I swear to god I didn't mean to hurt you!" Ayame said, trying to get Kaida to look at her.

"Then you shouldn't have been so blunt," Emiko said, chopping Ayame on the head. "**Divine punishment!**"

"Will you cut that out already?!"

My friends turned to face me. Even Haruko, who still had her fingers in her ears, was able to hear me.

"Why won't you guys just drop this?!" I said, flailing my arms in chibi and growing fangs. I immediately returned to normal, though there were still three popped veins on my head. "I'm so sick of this! I don't even know what it was Ayame-Chan said because you refuse to tell me! All I know is this has gone too far." I was close to crying. This was out of control, and I felt like I was going to burst. "I agree if Ayame said something insulting, she needs to apologize. But Kaida, you've been too hard on her for too long. And Haruko, ignoring this isn't going to solve anything. You should be trying to help! And Emiko! Your divine punishment isn't going to help; it's just going to give Ayame a concussion! Plus, why do _I _have to punish her?! It's so pointless! So why don't you guys give this a rest?! You're all being complete bakas!"

I stood, breathing heavily, my cheeks bright red. My eyes brimmed with tears as I looked at my friends. Biting my lower lip, I turned on my heel and ran out of the room, silent tears flying behind me. I didn't care what the other kids in class thought of me. I didn't care what anyone thought.

"Momo-Chan, wait!"

I didn't listen. They had gone too far. I had never wanted to get involved in this. I couldn't take it. I had to get away. Just for a moment. I didn't care if I was acting like Haruko by running from it. I ran into the unused classroom at the end of the hall and curled up in the corner, face buried in my knees.

"Hey, are you okay?"

I looked up and saw the red-haired girl from the café. I sniffed and wiped my eyes. "Yeah," I said.

She sat down next to me and put her hand on my shoulder.

"I've had experience with this kind of thing," she said. "There's nothing worse than when your friends fight. But things will always get better, that's the one thing you have to remember. After all, that's what friends do, right? They forgive each other. True, it may take some time, but if you truly believe in your friendship, you'll be able to pull through."

I looked at her for moment and smiled. "You're right," I said. "Thanks for…" I struggled to find the right words, considering the awkwardness of the situation.

"Hey, don't mention it," the girl said. "By the way, I never did catch your name."

"Momo Satiro. And yours?"

"Ichigo Momomiya."

* * *

**Yay! Tokyo Mew Mew styles cheesiness! Dammit, people, review!**


	4. Help From Friends Brings Surprises

**Peaches and Cream**

**Alright, now we're getting to the interesting part. And I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my friend who I based Emiko off of, because she helped me with my writer's block.**

**Translations.**

**Onee-(chan)(sama): This is a polite term the girls use for the girls in the group that are older than them. Literally translated, it means "Elder Sister", even though they're not sisters. It's just a more polite way to address friends who are older than you.**

**Onii-(chan)(sama): Same as the first one, but for boys. Means "Elder Brother."**

**Gomen/Gomen nasai: I'm sorry.**

**Arigato/Domo: Thank you.**

**Onigai: Please.**

**Baka: Stupid, or idiot, depending on how it's used.**

* * *

I peeked around the doorframe of the classroom, apprehensively. I really wasn't keen on seeing my friends again after my outburst the day before, but my parents wouldn't let me skip school for anything.

Discreetly, I walked into the room and sidled over to my desk.

"Momo?"

I didn't even look up. I knew who it was. "Emiko, don't even get started on it."

"Momo, Gomen Nasai."

I sighed and smushed my face into my arm. "Yeah, whatever, Kaida."

"No, really. We shouldn't have gotten you involved when you weren't even there."

"Took you long enough to figure it out." I sat up and looked at my friends, who, I noted, were standing noticeably far apart. "Look, guys. I have an idea. If we really want to solve this, maybe we should spend a little bit of time apart from one another."

"I'm not following you," Ayame said, a question mark floating around her head.

"Sometimes when you spend a lot of time with someone, you get irritated with them more easily. We might be able to resolve this if we just go our separate ways for about a week."

Emiko looked at me with watery eyes and said, "But then I won't have anyone to Divine Punish-ify!"

I gave her the look of death, a.k.a., flaming eyes.

"Ah! Okay, okay!"

And with that, they walked back to their own desks and went about their business. I smiled inwardly, taking out my contraband gum and chewing contentedly.

----------

It was lunch break, and things were still somewhat hectic. I sweatdropped and walked over to Emiko, who was currently peeking out from behind the wall, staring me.

"Fangy," I said, "quit stalking me!"

"But I'm lonely! I don't have any other frieeeeeeends!"

I did a mushroom cloud sigh. "Then make some new ones."

"I can't! Everyone's scared of me!"

"They're scared of me, too, but I made a new friend."

"But you're not as scary as me!"

I thought on this for a few seconds. "True, I'm not a vampire, after all. But that's still no excuse for stalking me!"

"But, but, it's the only way I can NOT around you and BE around you and well… I was HOPING I wouldn't get caught…" She trailed off pathetically with little tears forming under her eyelids, before exclaiming, "I'm LONELY!!!"

This got to me. She was just so cute, how could I not help her?! She was using my weak spot. Stupid manipulating little cretin.

I sighed. "Okay, I'll help. But I need to find Ichigo."

"Ichigo Momomiya? That girl who's always falling asleep in class and shouting in her dreams? Hmm. It figures you would befriend fellow space case and loudmouth."

I sprouted swelled vein and said, "Just follow me and keep a low profile. If the others see you with me we'll never hear the end of it."

Emiko nodded and we began to search for Ichigo. We found her chatting with her two friends on the other side of the courtyard.

"Ichigo!"

Ichigo turned and waved at me. "Oh, Momo-chan! How'd it go?"

I laughed nervously. "Well, there is one thing."

Right on cue, Emiko poked her head out from behind me.

"Loneliness," I whispered.

"Ah. I see," Ichigo said, nodding.

"So, do you know anyone who might be able to make friends with her? As she said herself, everyone's scared of her because of her 'claims' of being a vampire."

Ichigo's eyes brightened and a wicked smile flashed onto her face. "I know JUST the girl! She doesn't go to this school yet, but she will next year, and she lives walking distance from here, just about two minutes away."

"Great! So after school then?"

----------

I looked up at the Chinese oriented house with a raised eyebrow. It was really out of place. I had never seen anything quite like it. Well, except for the fact that Emiko likes to wear the school uniforms of other nationalities in her free time, but that's different, sorta.

"So she's still in elementary school?"

"Yeah, but she'll be in our school next year."

Ichigo knocked on the door, and we were immediately pounced on by a yellow blur.

"Ichigo Onee-chan! You brought friends, na no da!"

"Purin," Ichigo laughed, "get off!"

The small yellow girl jumped off of us and did a back-flip before bowing to us.

"I am pleased to meet the friends of Ichigo onee-chan, na no da!"

Fangy stared, shocked at this boingy little girl, then tuned to me with a look of pure terror on her face. "Now SHE is as scary as me," she said, twitching.

"Momo, Emiko," Ichigo said, "this is Purin Fong. Purin; Momo and Emiko. Now… um…"

I stepped in at this point. "My friends got into a fight and we decided to spend some time apart to solve things but Emiko is lonely and needs a friend but everyone is scared of her and Ichigo thought you wouldn't be. Also, she's a vampire." I managed to say it all in one breath.

Purin stared at us for a moment, then glomped and Emiko. "Vampire-chan!"

"I think that solves things," Ichigo said, smirking as Emiko and Purin engaged in a spontaneous tickle fight.

"Too right," I laughed as we walked away.

"I've got to go work my shift at the café," Ichigo said. Then she muttered under her breath, "I guess there's no escape from Shirogane."

"What was that?" I said.

"Shirogane is my demonic boss," Ichigo said.

"How is he demonic?"

"He's ruthless and underpays us."

"Mm. Kind of like my karate teacher. But if he underpays you, why don't you quit?"

"I… kind of can't."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Ichigo sighed. "Would you be willing to believe something pretty farfetched?"

I laughed. "I believe in dragons! I'll believe anything, trust me!"

"Okay, then. This will be hard to swallow, but I'm…" She gulped. "I'm Mew Ichigo, and Café Mew Mew is our base of operations, which means I can't quit, even if our creator, Ryou Shirogane, only pays us ten dollars an hour. The reason I'm telling you this because we recently discovered a new threat which we're not powerful enough to defeat, so we created a new Mew Mew. And you're that Mew Mew. You have the DNA of a snow leopard in your system now."

I stared at the red haired girl next to me. "Wait… what kind of consequences would that include?"

"You believe me?! I thought for sure you'd think I was joking!"

"You just helped me with what was probably the biggest problem of my life! I trust you!"

"Well, to answer your question, the biggest consequence would be that you'll have to battle at any given time, regardless of what you're doing. Then, you'll have to work at the café part time to so that you'll be up to date with new missions. A mark will appear on your body to signify your alliance with us. And finally, you might have the same problem as me; you're animal features might pop out in your daily life when you get exited or scared."

I thought on this for a minute. "So that explains Wednesday night."

"What?"

"First I found a weird mark on my arm that I forgot about because I was under a lot of stress, then I had a nightmare and when I woke up, I had another dream that I had a tail and ears. Or, at least, I thought it was a dream then. But I guess--" I stopped short when something hit me. "Wait… if I have to work at the café, does that mean I have to wear one of those frilly maid's outfits?!"

Ichigo nodded as we neared the café entrance.

I sighed. "Well, I'll do it, but I won't like it." I shuddered at the idea of wearing all that lace.

We opened the doors to the café, and I prepared myself for what surprises lay ahead.

* * *

**Woohoo! Cliffhanger! Gah, this chapter was a pain to write. I'll say it once again; REVIEW, DAMMIT! I hate not knowing what people think! Even if all you have to say is criticism, as long as it's not a flame, I'm fine with it! Flames will boil water for my hot chocolate. Anyone who reviews gets some of that hot chocolate.**


	5. Coworkers Are as Diverse as They Come

**Peaches and Cream**

**Yep. My muse is back. With help. Yay for Morgana! She is my backup muse and gives me ideas when I'm brain-dead. I think this thing would have died after the first chapter if she hadn't helped me. Also, just to clear things up if you were wondering, Momo's last name doesn't mean anything. I just modified my own last name so it sounded Japanese. Shapiro turned into Satiro. Yay. And sorry for the LONG wait between updates. I just had major surgery on my back, so as you can imagine, I wasn't exactly in a good place to write.**

**I think I'll let someone else do the disclaimer this time. Oh, Purin!**

**Purin: -_back-flips into the room_- At your service, na no da! Xanthera Onee-chan doesn't own Tokyo Mew Mew, na no da. But she owns Momo Onee-chan and Vampire Onee-chan and her other friends, na no da.**

**Me: I'm not going to put the translations here this time. You should now them by now.

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As we entered the café I was once again bathed in the happy atmosphere of the cutest shop in Tokyo.

"Ichigo-san!"

I turned and saw the green waitress from the other day rushing towards us, holding a tray under her arm.

"Ichigo-san, you found--" She was cut off as she tripped over her own two feet and fell on her stomach, sending the tray flying in my direction. I was barely able to catch it and stop it from hitting me in the face. That was one time I was happy for my karate reflexes.

The girl quickly stood up and began apologizing profusely. "Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai!"

Somehow I managed to get the words, "Hey, it's okay!" to reach her ears.

Ichigo patted the girl on the shoulder. "Retasu, it's fine," said. "It was just an accident." She turned to me and said, "Momo, this is Retasu Midorikawa."

"Nice to meet you," I said, bowing.

"You too," Retasu said, shyly. She turned to Ichigo again. "Ichigo, do you know where Purin is?"

"It's her day off, remember?"

Retasu gasped and bowed again. "Gomen nasai! I forgot!"

As Retasu continued to bow and apologize, I whispered to Ichigo, "Is she always like this?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. You get used to it, though."

"Ah, late again, Ichigo?"

Ichigo whirled around to face another frill-covered waitress, this one in blue, who had her black hair tied up in bao buns and was sitting at a table drinking tea.

"Minto, you're not in a position to talk about not working!" Ichigo said as she stormed over to her coworker. "All you ever do is drink tea! I may be late a lot, but at least I actually work when I _do _get here!" The navy haired girl remained stoic and sipped her tea again, which made Ichigo practically explode. Luckily, all she did was steam. "Besides, while you were sitting here being a lazyass, I found our new companion!" At this point, Ichigo gestured towards me and stood proudly next to me, as if I was some sort of trophy. Which, for some odd reason, I was okay with.

Minto remained unperturbed as she said, "Well, duh. Isn't that precisely what Ryou TOLD you to do?" She looked up at Ichigo batting her eyelashes innocently. "Who would I be to interfere?"

Ichigo's face began to swell with anger when I stepped in to stop the impending explosion. "It doesn't matter, you did a really great job of informing me of the circumstances, Ichigo."

Minto narrowed her eyes at me and was about to respond, when we all heard a rather loud clank on the other side of the café. I looked over and saw a purple waitress serving a terrified customer. Without even having to look closer, I was able to recognize the face of the acting industry whom I worshipped. Which, needless to say, sent me into convulsions.

"F-f-f-fu-Fujiwara-san?!" I managed to stutter. "Zakuro Fujiwara, the very _essence_ of perfect acting, is working HERE?!" Slowly, (which is very typical of me) I put the pieces together. "So…" I said quietly to myself, "I'm going to be fighting alongside my idol?"

Ichigo doubled over laughing. "Join the club!" she said, pointing at Minto.

Minto glared daggers at the red-haired girl. "Ichigo, I told you not to say that out loud in front of Onee-Sama!"

"But it's true!" Ichigo laughed, clutching her stomach.

"You know I don't like her in _just_ that way!" She looked over at Zakuro, admiringly. "It's deeper than that."

I looked at Minto's eyes and the pieces clicked. "No way."

"Way," Ichigo said, wiping a tear from her eye. "It's L-O-V-E, lo--" She was cut off as Minto sent a punch flying in her direction. Thankfully, it missed.

I snickered at the girls' antics. This was quite entertaining. But now wasn't the time. I tapped Ichigo on the shoulder and whispered, "Could we maybe get back to the task at hand? Namely, explaining to me what my new job requires of me?"

Ichigo nodded and walked away from a red-faced Minto.

"You came here before, so you already know what the basics of being a waitress are, right?" Ichigo said as we walked toward the kitchen.

I nodded.

"Let's just hope that you have a good memory."

I laughed, "No need to worry about that!"

"One should hope not."

Ichigo bristled and jumped in surprise, shrieking in a pitch to make your ears bleed. She whirled around to face the speaker, a tall blonde boy who looked about seventeen. His face was, in my opinion, flawless. No chin stubble, no acne, no nothing. And he was wearing a black leather sleeveless top that revealed his muscular arms. Hot muscular arms.

But he was nothing compared to the man standing next to him.

He looked to be in his early twenties, and was wearing a fancy chef's uniform with a pastel green top and red scarf. His brown hair was tied back in a long ponytail that was hanging down almost to his waist. His chocolate eyes sparkled with intelligence, and the very air around him radiated with coolness. I nearly fainted at his charming smile. Unending sexiness was standing right in front of me and smiling at me. ME, the girl with freckles, glasses, braces, and a figure like some out of the Blair Witch Project.

I leaned into Ichigo, blubbering, "Who is THAT?"

"That's Keiichiro Akasaka. Now, if you'll excuse me."

She got up in the blonde boy's face and started screeching something incomprehensible, though I think I heard something about how she told him a thousand times not to sneak up on her. I assumed at once that this was the "Demonic boss, Shirogane," she had mentioned earlier. There was no way the man next to him could be demonic in any way, shape or form.

"Calm down, Strawberry," he said, pushing her away from him.

Ichigo's eye's burned. "I told you not to call me that! Three simple syllables! Ee-chee-go, is that so hard?!"

I was about to intervene when Keiichiro lifted my hand to his face and kissed it. I blushed a deep shade of magenta as he said in a gentlemanly voice, "I'm very pleased to meet you, Miss Satiro. I am Keiichiro Akasaka, and don't be afraid to come to me if you have a question. And please excuse them. Ichigo and Ryou get into these fights all the time. It's best just to let them be."

I managed to get my mouth to work enough to say, "A-alright. Then where to now?"

"Come into the kitchen and we'll get you fitted for your uniform. Please, come this way."

Keiichiro led me into the kitchen as Ichigo and Ryou followed, Ichigo steaming and Ryou acting like nothing had happened. As we entered the kitchen, a small pink blur flew in front of me and squeaked, "At your service, Momo!"

I stared at the pink, cat-eared fluff ball and squealed at how adorable he was.

"That's Masha," Ichigo said, now mostly calm. "He helps us out by signaling us when there's danger nearby."

"You'll need to get changed so you can start working," Keiichiro said as he handed me a small box. Apprehensively, I opened it, and my jaw dropped as I saw the frilly monstrosity that I was meant to wear. I could immediately that working here was NOT going to be fun.

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**Ha! Comedic cliffy! Don't forget to review, peoples! NO FLAMES! Flames will just fuel the fire going in my hearth. Geez, it's flipping FREEZING out here in Colorado!**


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